Sleeve for container

ABSTRACT

A sleeve for a cup includes a shape that reduces the overall surface area of the sleeve. The sleeve contains an enlarged surface area for the thumb and another enlarged surface area for one or more fingers of the hand for thermally insulating the hand from the cup. The sleeve includes a narrow portion of material connecting these areas. The overall size of the sleeve is such that it reduces the amount of material used in the sleeve, while providing the same thermal insulative effect of a larger sleeve.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION AND CLAIM OF PRIORITY

Applicants hereby claim the priority benefits under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §119, basing said claim of priority on commonly assigned, related U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/031,948 filed Aug. 1, 2014.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to containers, and more particularly to a sleeve for a cup, such as those commonly employed in vending machines and in stores and restaurants for dispensing liquids. Liquids, such as coffee, tea, hot chocolate, soup, etc., can be dispensed and served in a container. The liquids are typically heated or cooled before or during dispensing. Many of these containers are either a paper or plastic cup. Because paper and plastic cups typically do not provide sufficient thermal insulating properties when filled with a hot or cold liquid, the handling of such containers may be uncomfortable to the consumer. Protective sleeves have been used to allow a person to hold the cup without burning one's fingers yet retaining heat in the cup for preventing the liquid from cooling too quickly. Similarly, a sleeve can be used to thermally insulate a person's hand from a cup containing a cold beverage or a frozen food or beverage.

The cups used by coffee shops, stores, and vending machines are typically disposable cups made from inexpensive and typically biodegradable materials. Similarly, the sleeves are also disposable and made of recyclable materials. The ideal cup and sleeve would protect a person's hand from excessive heat or cold while keeping the beverage hot or cold for an extended period of time. The sleeves may be made of multiple layers to increase the level of thermal insulation. In addition, the sleeve may be corrugated, such as corrugated paperboard or cardboard, to create air spaces around the cup to provide a certain degree of insulation. While the sleeves can provide insulation, they add to the cost of the beverage and increase the material that is disposed of when the consumer is done with the cup.

Thus, a sleeve that reduces the material that is used in the sleeve while maintaining the thermal insulation properties of the sleeve would be advantageous and is desired. A product that solves these problems and a method of making such a product are described herein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is a cup sleeve that utilizes less material than the prior art sleeves while maintaining the thermal insulating effects of the sleeve. The sleeve is configured to provide the surface area necessary to grasp the sleeve and to maintain thermal insulation between the hand and the cup, while minimizing the amount of material that is not within the area of the grasp.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method of manufacturing a cup sleeve, wherein the number of sleeves that can be obtained from a single piece of material is increased due to the shape of the sleeve and the ability to cut more sleeves from the same amount of material.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a sleeve for use with a cup with a combination of one or more of the following features:

-   -   wherein the amount of adhesive that is used is reduced     -   wherein the surface area of the sleeve is reduced     -   wherein the sleeves have a shape that allows more sleeves to be         cut from the same amount of material     -   where the reduced size and weight of the sleeve allows the         sleeve to be shipped and/or stored at a lower cost

These and other aspects, objects, and features of the present disclosure will be understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art upon studying the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front view of a prior art sleeve on a cup;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a prior art sleeve of FIG. 1 on a cup;

FIG. 3 is a top view of a sheet of material with the cut pattern for multiple prior art sleeves, shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, depicted thereon;

FIG. 4 is a front view of one embodiment of the inventive sleeve on a cup;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the sleeve and cup shown in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a sheet of material with the cut pattern for multiple sleeves, shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, depicted thereon;

FIG. 7 is a front view of another embodiment of the inventive sleeve on a cup;

FIG. 8 is a side view of the sleeve and cup shown in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top view of a sheet of material showing the cut pattern for multiple sleeves, shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, depicted thereon; and

FIG. 10 is a side view of the sleeve shown in FIGS. 7-9, in an unassembled condition.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

For purposes of description herein, the terms “upper,” “lower,” “right,” “left,” “rear,” “front,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” and derivatives thereof shall relate to the invention as oriented in the attached drawings. However, it is to be understood that the invention may assume various alternative orientations and step sequences, except where expressly specified to the contrary. It is also to be understood that the specific devices and processes illustrated in the attached drawings, and described in the following specification, are simply exemplary embodiments of the inventive concepts defined in the appended claims. Hence, specific dimensions and other physical characteristics relating to the embodiments disclosed herein are not to be considered as limiting, unless the claims expressly state otherwise.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate a prior art sleeve 100. The sleeve 100 includes a slightly curved or arcuate portion with a lower concave edge and an upper convex edge, as shown in FIG. 3. When the prior art sleeve 100 is placed on a cup 104, it gives the appearance of a sleeve 100 with generally parallel top and bottom edges. Thus, the upper and lower edges of the sleeve 100 allow the sleeve 100 to look straight when placed on a cup 104 that has a tapered diameter that increases from the bottom to the top of the cup 104. The sleeve 100 is assembled prior to placement on the cup 104 by having two lateral edges connected by adhesive to form a joint 110 or by other means, such as overlapping slots. The sleeve 100 is cut from a piece of stock material 106, as shown in FIG. 3.

One illustrated embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 4-6. The cup 4 is typically formed of paperboard, cardboard, or other cellulose material and may include multiple layers of material, such as the materials disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,063,771 B2, which is incorporated herein by reference. The cellulose material can include recycled and/or post-consumer material. The cup 4 may also be made of or include a suitable plastic and/or foam material. Similarly, the sleeve 2 is made up of a cellulose material, such as paperboard and/or cardboard, and can include multiple layers of material, which can include recycled and/or post-consumer material. The sleeve 2 can also be made of or include a suitable plastic or foam material. The sleeve 2 can also be made from a biodegradable material. The material can be generally flat or can include texture on one or more surfaces. For example, the sleeve 2 can be made from fluted stock material 12 like that shown in FIGS. 6 and 9. The sleeve 2 can also be made from a honeycomb or any other texturized material, like those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,425,497 and 6,863,644. The texture can assist in the gripping ability of the sleeve 2 as well as the thermal insulating properties of the sleeve 2.

The sleeve 2 is shaped so that there are two enlarged areas 6 with narrow connecting portions 8 in between. The narrow connecting portions 8 can be approximately one-third of the width of the enlarged areas 6. In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 4-6, the enlarged areas 6 are approximately the same width 3 as the width 105 of the prior art sleeve 100 shown in FIG. 1. However, the enlarged areas 6 could have a narrower or even slightly larger width 3 than the width 105 of the prior art sleeve 100. When assembled, the two enlarged areas 6 will be generally opposite each other when the sleeve 2 is placed on a cup 4. A person's thumb can be positioned on one enlarged area 6 with one or more fingers being positioned on the opposite enlarged area 6, thus providing insulation to a person's fingers when the combined cup 4 and sleeve 2 are held. As such, the width 3 of the enlarged areas 6 may also be the same approximate size or slightly larger than the width of two fingers.

The narrow connecting portions 8 of material between these enlarged areas 6 permit the reduction of material used in the sleeve 2 while maintaining the thermal insulation properties of the sleeve 2. The width 5 of the narrow connecting portions 8 is approximately one-third the width 3 of the enlarged area 6. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the narrow connecting portions 8 connect and/or overlap to create a connection 13 when the sleeve 2 is assembled. As shown in FIG. 6, the narrow connecting portions 8 can include a first portion 22, a second portion 18, and a third portion 20. When the adhesive is placed between the overlap of the second portion 18 and third portion 20, the amount of adhesive used on the sleeve 2 is reduced in comparison with the prior art sleeve 100. Any suitable adhesive, such as glue or strips of adhesive, may be used. The sleeve 2 may also use some form of mechanical connection, such as interlocking slits, tongue and groove, etc., alone or in combination with the adhesive. As shown in FIG. 4, the enlarged areas 6 of the sleeve 2 can taper down to the narrow portions 8.

As illustrated in FIG. 6, the shape of the sleeve 2 allows more sleeves 2 to be made from the same amount of material as compared to prior art sleeves 100, thereby decreasing the cost and environmental impact of the sleeve 2. The sleeve 2 may have a design such that a tessellated and/or mosaic pattern is cut into the stock material 12 so as to reduce the amount of unused material. In this manner, more sleeves 2 can be obtained from the same amount of stock material 12. In the illustrated embodiment, one hundred twelve sleeves 2 are obtained instead of seventy-six from the same sized piece of stock material 106, 12 when comparing the cut pattern of FIG. 6 to FIG. 3. This results in approximately 33% more sleeves 2 from the same amount of stock material 106, 12.

Another embodiment of the sleeve 22 is shown in FIGS. 7-10. This sleeve 22 is similar to the sleeve 2 shown in FIGS. 4-6, allowing more sleeves 22 to be made from the same amount of stock material 12 as compared to the prior art sleeve 100. In addition, the mosaic-cut pattern of the sleeve 22 allows for more sleeves 22 to be obtained from the same amount of stock material 12, while reducing the amount of unused stock material 12. For example, as illustrated in FIG. 9, one hundred twelve sleeves 22 are obtained from the same amount of stock material 12 that produces seventy-six prior art sleeves 100.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIGS. 7-10, the width 23 of the enlarged areas 26 is approximately three times the width 25 of the narrow portions 28 of the sleeve 22. FIG. 10 illustrates where the adhesive 24 may be placed before portions are overlapped to create the assembled sleeve 22. In this illustrated embodiment, the adhesive 24 is used to connect the narrow portions 28 of the sleeve 22. The narrow portions 28 include a first portion 34 between the two enlarged areas 26, a second portion 32, and a third portion 30. When the adhesive 24 is placed between the overlap of the second portion 32 and the third portion 30, the amount of adhesive 24 is reduced. However, the adhesive 24 may be used in the enlarged areas 26 of the sleeve 22. This can be accomplished by sizing and cutting one of the enlarged areas 26 with a seam that allows the two portions of the enlarged area 26 to overlap. Alternatively, one of the narrow portions 28 can include an extension that is adhered or otherwise connected to one of the enlarged areas 26.

While the embodiments show the connection at the ends of the narrow connecting portions 8, 28 of sleeves 2, 22, the sleeves 2, 22 may be cut in a manner where the connection takes place anywhere on the sleeves 2, 22. The sleeves 2, 22 are configured to closely embrace a cup 4 while protecting the user's fingers from the temperature of the cup 4. The sleeves 2, 22 may also be used on any container. While the illustrated embodiments show the sleeves 2, 22 being used on a tapered cup 4, the container may be of any shape.

The methods for cutting the sleeves 2, 22 from the stock material 12 can include any traditional method of cutting shapes from stock material 12, including, but not limited to, die cutting. A blank in the shape of the sleeves 2, 22 may be applied to the stock material 12 in order to maximize the number of sleeves 2, 22 from the stock material 12. This includes arranging the blanks in a rotational manner, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9, such that the enlarged areas 6, 26 are above a narrow portion 8, 28. When the sleeves 2, 22 are to be used on tapered cups 4, the sleeves 2, 22 will have concave 16, 27 and convex 14, 28 sides. By having concave 16, 27 and convex 14, 28 sides above each other on the stock material 12 (as shown in FIGS. 6 and 9), the stock material 12 is maximized. A tessellated and/or mosaic pattern can be created by arranging the blanks in this matter. The blanks can be arranged so that the tessellated and/or mosaic pattern is rotated to maximize the number of blanks on the stock material 12.

It will be understood by one having ordinary skill in the art that construction of the described invention and other components is not limited to any specific material. Other exemplary embodiments of the invention disclosed herein may be formed from a wide variety of materials, unless described otherwise herein.

It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement of the elements of the invention as shown in the exemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a few embodiments of the present innovations have been described in detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, use of materials, orientations, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter recited. For example, the operation of the interfaces may be reversed or otherwise varied, and the length or width of the structures and/or members or connector or other elements of the system may be varied. It should be noted that the elements and/or assemblies of the system may be constructed from any of a wide variety of materials that provide sufficient strength or durability, in any of a wide variety of textures and combinations. Accordingly, all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present innovations. Other substitutions, modifications, changes, and omissions may be made in the design, operating conditions, and arrangement of the desired and other exemplary embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present innovations.

It will be understood that any described processes or steps within described processes may be combined with other disclosed processes or steps to form structures within the scope of the present invention. The exemplary structures and processes disclosed herein are for illustrative purposes and are not to be construed as limiting.

In the foregoing description, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the invention without departing from the concepts disclosed herein. Such modifications are to be considered as included in the following claims, unless these claims by their language expressly state otherwise. 

I claim:
 1. A sleeve for use with a container, comprising: a first enlarged area; a second enlarged area; a first narrow portion connecting the first and second enlarged areas, having a width that is approximately 33 percent of the width of the first enlarged area; a second narrow portion extending from the first enlarged area, having a width that is approximately 33 percent of the width of the first enlarged area; a third narrow portion extending from the second enlarged area, having a width that is approximately 33 percent of the width of the first enlarged area; and a fastening member for connecting the second and third narrow portions.
 2. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the fastening member is adhesive.
 3. The sleeve of claim 2, wherein the adhesive is an adhesive strip.
 4. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the fastening member is a mechanical connection between the second and third narrow portions.
 5. The sleeve of claim 4, wherein the mechanical connection is a pair of interconnecting slots.
 6. The sleeve of claim 1, wherein the first and second enlarged areas have the same width.
 7. A method for forming a sleeve, comprising: forming a blank, comprising: a first enlarged area; a second enlarged area; a first narrow portion connecting the first and second enlarged areas, having a width that is approximately 33 percent of the width of the first enlarged area; a second narrow portion extending from the first enlarged area, having a width that is approximately 33 percent of the width of the first enlarged area; a third narrow portion extending from the second enlarged area, having a width that is approximately 33 percent of the width of the first enlarged area; and a fastening member for connecting the second and third narrow portions; applying said blank to a sheet of material to form the sleeve; and connecting said second and third narrow portions of the sleeve.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the connecting step comprises using adhesive.
 9. The method of claim 9, wherein the connecting step comprises using a mechanical connection.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the mechanical connection is two corresponding slots in the second and third narrow portions.
 11. The method of claim 7, wherein the sheet of material comprises a cellulose material.
 12. The method of claim 7 further comprising: positioning a repeating pattern of the blank on the sheet of material such that the enlarged areas are directly above one of the narrow portions.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the positioning step includes positioning the blanks to maximize the number of sleeves that can be cut from the material.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the positioning step involves a tessellated pattern on the material.
 15. A sheet material having one or more blanks of a sleeve for use with a container, comprising: a blank comprising: a first enlarged area; a second enlarged area; a first narrow portion connecting the first and second enlarged areas, having a width that is approximately 33 percent of the width of the first enlarged area; and a second narrow portion extending from the first enlarged area, having a width that is approximately 33 percent of the width of the first enlarged area.
 16. The sheet material of claim 15, wherein the second narrow portion includes an extension for connecting to the second enlarged area.
 17. The sheet material of claim 16, wherein the blank has a convex side and a concave side, and the blanks are arranged such that the concave side of one blank is above the convex side of another blank.
 18. The sheet material of claim 15, wherein the material is a cellulose material.
 19. The sheet material of claim 15, wherein the enlarged areas taper to the narrow portions.
 20. The sheet material of claim 15, wherein the material includes at least one textured surface. 